Pf Chang's

[IronedOut]

I know most folks are aware of PF Chang's and the gluten-free menu they provide. But this was my first time since DX and it was really nice. I didn't feel like I had to explain things two or three times and be really worried about them not getting it anyway.

And the waitress even explained it to another staff member when I asked for extra wheat-free soy!

I felt like a real person.

[carriecraig]

That is really great. I tried to go to my local one, but they were absolutely booked. Can't wait to go and try it out!

[rmmadden]

I've been to PF Changs twice (Once here at home and once on vacation in Vegas) and had a great experience both times. The gluten-free menu has plenty to choose from and it is reassuring to know that the kitchen and wait staff are aware of the gluten-free needs. I almost felt like a "normal" person and enjoyed eating out without all the added stress.

I will return again and again.

Cleveland Bob

[Judyin Philly]

Hi

Going Thursday nite

What did you have that was good and NO SHELL FISH...ALLERGIC.

JUDY

[jkmunchkin]

I love been a bunch of times (most recently this past Saturday) and one of my favorite things besides the obvious ease of ordering for a change, is that when they bring any of your food over before you even ask to confirm it's your gluten free dish - they say it.

Judy - you have to get the gluten-free lettuce wraps!! Yummy in my tummy

[happygirl]

ditto to the lettuce wraps---that's what i was told to order from someone who is non-Celiac. They are apparently known for them and they are delicious. i've had them every single time i've gone there.

I order the Shanghai Cucumbers and lettuce wraps for an appetizer with my husband. We order Chang's spicy chicken and then the Lemon Scallops (but you prob can't have those?). I think they make Lemon Chicken, also.

MMMMM I love that place.

[Becky6]

YUMM!! Yes it is very busy! The first time we tried to go it was a 3 hour wait! So we made reservations the next time and it was great! The gluten-free lettuce wraps were GREAT!!

[IronedOut]

I had the Singapore Street Noodles, which are my absolute fav, and just asked them to hold the shrimp. The waitress didn't even bat an eylash. And I asked for my own spicy sauce setup. Spicy, spicy and yummy. I ordered the lettuce wraps for the whole table and they couldn't tell the difference! HA!!

[Judyin Philly]

WOW

Thanks everyone for ideas.

I'd never think of lettuce wraps...don't even know what it is.

Going to the web site now.

Can't thank you enough...lemon chicken (think you said) sounds good too.

They all like their deserts so am taking my gluten-free brownies...or is there a desert ..guess they always share...

I'll let you know what i had.

I can't wait...first time in 6 months a 'nite out with the girls'

[hlm34]

went to PF Changs on monday night and it was soooo good. Had the lettuce wraps and the spicy chicken entree. so good. I was so happy to have chinese food again. It was great. Have a wonderful time tonight JudyinPhilly!

[Judyin Philly]

Have a wonderful time tonight JudyinPhilly!

God I hope I can go.

I gluttened MYSELF last nite with my first gluten-free lasanna...good god...

Sick as a dog today. Hard to remember how awful it was becasue i've been good for so long but think it's the dairy because all inged were gluten-free

Good Grief Charlie Brown

Judy

[mommida]

I love the spicey chicken and lettuce wraps! I have great experiences at P.F. Chang's. They also have a chocolate flourless torte, like you would still be hungry. LOL It comes with a sauce, be carefull because it can depend on the chef who makes the sauce if it's gluten free or not. Call ahead and check with the restaurant to make sure. I haven't tried the desert yet.

[Judyin Philly]

I love the spicey chicken and lettuce wraps! I have great experiences at P.F. Chang's. They also have a chocolate flourless torte, like you would still be hungry. LOL It comes with a sauce, be carefull because it can depend on the chef who makes the sauce if it's gluten free or not. Call ahead and check with the restaurant to make sure. I haven't tried the desert yet.

thanks

are the spicey chicken really spicey...can't do really spicey

the cake tip is great also

hope i feel better soon.

judy

[Judyin Philly]

I had the Singapore Street Noodles, which are my absolute fav, and just asked them to hold the shrimp. The waitress didn't even bat an eylash. And I asked for my own spicy sauce setup. Spicy, spicy and yummy. I ordered the lettuce wraps for the whole table and they couldn't tell the difference! HA!!

HI Folks--well I went to PF Changs tonight ...you all know how excited I was to go....

The only good thing about the night was the company of my 'nite out with the girls'

With that being said....I think it was the waitress.

Some of you remarked that yours were so helpful.

After printing the gluten-free menue, getting reservations, arriving on time, it was a mess....

Luckily, I was with dear friends who were supportive and 'went with the flow'

I truly think it was my waitress becasue I was preared and did my homework and did all I should but call ahead to talk to chef..coudn't get through on the phone...

To tired to write it all up but these were some of her comments...

"I know all about gluten-free foods"....but when questioned, didn't know and didn't seem to care...

"these are the sauces I'll expain them, but you can't have any.....Don't you have some gluten-free sause for me?

"No but yours will be fine without it..... well, heck i wanted some and she didn't even know what i was ordering.

The lettuce wraps were very good and we shared one but no sauce of me

I asked about the Singapore Street Noodles, and to hold the shrimp as I'm allergic...she said NO we can't do that ...this dish isn't for you.

Don't even remember what i ended up getting. some chicken thing with stringy noodles...no flavor at all..no sause for me.....Again she said....was getting annoyed with me at this point.

Others liked their meals alot....they all tasted mine and said UCK!....wish we could share ours with you...

Desert time...I asked about the chocolate cake one you mentioned..."NO" you can't have our chocolate cake. It's not for you....(what am i from outerspace????) I said I know I've had people have a flourless cake at PF Changs...'well not at this resturant, you can't"

So to all you who went and had a great experience, I'm so jealous........I'm sure it's a great chain and they vary from place to place and waiter to waiter...and each may have different menues from each other.

BUT I can tell you IF i ever go again I will call ahead ( as i know i should have done) and will ask for another waitress if i get her again.

It's nice to know this resturant has such a commitment to gluten-free menues....I just have to find another one.

Judy in PHilly

[IronedOut]

Judy - Super sorry to hear about your experience. Since this chain goes to such lengths to accomodate us, would you consider letting the manager know about your evening? Not to get the waitress in trouble, but to help others (and hopefully you too again) that go there.

[happygirl]

Judy-Come visit me in Virginia Beach and we'll have some great Pf Changs!

Sorry that your experience left EVERYTHING to be desired.

If you decide to go there again, maybe try asking for the manager to start with? Sometimes at other places, if I realize that I have an idiot, I just move right along to the manager. After working in a restaurant as a waitress-that's what the managers are there for!

[jerseyangel]

Judy--So sorry to hear about your dissapointing evening. I know how much you were looking forward to it. "What am I, from outer space?"--how funny!--not really, but you know what I mean . Hopefully, you didn't get sick on top of it! I think informing the manager is a good idea--they have a good reputation and maybe this time they slipped up on educating the waitress. Bummer

[mommida]

I am so sorry you had a bad server. P.F. Chang's even has a gluten free soy sauce. Some of the dinners on the gluten free menu do not come with the standard sauces because of soy sauce base.

I never looked at the original menu for comparison. The chef who is working that night makes a huge difference too.

Call and make sure they know about the situation at this location, so it won't happen again.

[Becky6]

Judy that sucks! Def call the manager as they pride themselves on being celiac friendly. She must not have been listening to the training! I had gluten-free soy sauce with mine. I am sorry!!!

[CeliaCruz]

It sounds like this waitress had been trained on what do for Celiac diners (or given something to read on the subject) but just didn't have any real experience with an actual Celiac and that's why everything was so awkward and uncomfortable. ("This dish is NOT FOR YOU!!!!") I mean, if I didn't actually have this disease myself and I was a waiter and one day someone took me aside and said, "okay, sometimes we get these people in here who will get really sick if they eat gluten (which is an ingredient you've probably never heard of but that is in, like, everything) and you have to steer them clear of the following foods and they can have this, but not with this sauce and the wheat-free soy sauce is kept in this cabinet and don't screw up or your customer will get really really sick and here's a pamphlet and just relax and be yourself and smile and..." I'd totally freak. Hopefully, she'll wait on a few more Celiacs, get more comfortable with the whole concept and if you have her again she'll be way more helpful. Unfortunately, you were the one she had to cut her teeth on and that just sucks.

I imagine that there are PF Chang locations where a lot of Celiacs eat and everyone who works there totally knows what to do. And then there are locations where they don't get that many and everyone is semi-knowledgable but out of practice. And then sometimes it just takes some time for word to get out about the gluten-free menu and one day they've never heard of celiac disease and the next day they're waiting on ten of them a day and it's no big deal at all.

I went to Legal Sea Foods twice and had an experience somewhat similar to yours the first time. I didn't actually get glutened or anything but I could tell that my waiter was not comfortable with the whole situation and I just didn't enjoy myself. (And I was there with my family who aren't always supportive about such matters so there was that whole thing going on too!) But then I went back a few months later and it was like night and day. My waitress totally knew what she was doing and a manager came by to follow up and make sure everything was okay with my meal and I felt like royalty. I think they all just needed some time to get familiar with the process.

So, I'm sorry to hear that you had a bad meal, but I am grateful to you that you went there and served as a learning experience for this woman. The more we go to these restaurants, the better they'll be able to accomodate us!

[Judyin Philly]

Judy - Super sorry to hear about your experience. Since this chain goes to such lengths to accomodate us, would you consider letting the manager know about your evening? Not to get the waitress in trouble, but to help others (and hopefully you too again) that go there.

HI All

Thanks for all your comments (esp. the food suggestons) before going to my gluten-free '6 months' much anticipated nite out

To IronedOut - Thanks for your concern My husband was so upset for me too. His first comment was--"well you going to call the resturant aren't you"????

Well, yes I'm thinking about it but when I call I want to 'have it together' and not be angry....

I waitressed for years during college so I know what a hard job it is!

Even tho I know she 'only gave me 'zippo' concern and 'alot of lip service with no special sauces for me'-- I still don't want to get her in trouble...That's just me...but believe me, I did speak up...question her...and was so polite it was sicking ....she was just flipant...

The only way I would go back was if I did call the manager and was assured the same thing wouldn't happen to me again.

I have to take the time and write up my thoughts and what I expected from them and what the gluten menue said and be in control of the situation....just not up to it now but maybe later tonight.

Know it's a Friday nite and Manager will be busy and so will say that up front but if I put it off--Know I won't do it and I really would like to try it again as some of the items on the menue looked so good to me.

Anyway, going down to cook my OWN dinner now.....

Thanks again to all of you.

Going on line now to ck the phone # that's a start, right---

Judy in Philly

GOSH YOU GUYS, I DIDN'T SEE ALL YOUR COMMENTS TODAY BUT IRONEDOUT'S

HOW NICE OF YOU ALL.

I wrote this late in the day, now 6:00 pm

After reading them all, I realized I showed her my print out from the internet of the gluten free menue and she said she didn't know they had one..."Oh you mean the wheat thing? I know all about that'

Then tried to show her the triumph dining card...she wouldn't event take it or LOOK AT IT..."I don't need that , can't read chinese...I said but it's English on the other side. Can you show to the chef..."Nope, we don't need to do that...TRUST ME...

lORDY LORDY,,,,,SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR THE MANAGER THEN but It was 'my special happy nite out' geessssss.!

getting off 'my tummy hurts

Judy